Coach
Leo Beenhakker yesterday met with members of his management
team at the T&T/Germany 2006 Administration Centre,
in Arouca, to discuss training camps and preparations for
the February 28 friendly against Iceland in London.

The national coach and his assistant Wim Rijsbergen returned
to the country on Monday and met with managers Bruce Aanensen
and George Joseph as well as local assistant coach Anton
Corneal.

Beenhakker will meet with home-based players tomorrow at
the Hasely Crawford Stadium while the management team will
meet with the home-based and US-based players who were part
of the qualifying campaign to reveal further to them about
their bonus payments.

Beenhakker was visiting the newly renovated Kantac Plaza
offices where he will be based along with Aanensen, Joseph
and other TT/Germany 2006 team staff, including chief operational
officer Horace Reid.

Prior to their return, the Dutch duo was in the United Kingdom
and Holland looking at some of this countrys overseas-based
players in action as well as others eligible players. They
also, along with international relations consultant Mike
Berry visited training camp sites in England and Austria.

Meantime, West Ham United goalie Shaka Hislop and other
members of the Senior Players Committee were delighted to
hear of Beenhakkers return as they look ahead to reassembling
as a team for the first time since the victory over Bahrain.
They are expected to gather in London next month for the
friendly versus Iceland.

Hislop said it would be a special reunion.

It
definitely will be a special one because a lot of people
are saying that its unfortunate that we wont
be home for Carnival but as seasoned professional footballers
you get accustomed to that. But when we meet again it will
be the first time since the match in Bahrain and I think
everyone is really excited, Hislop stated.

Hislop said it could prove to be a different kind of meeting
because the players would be meeting as a World Cup team
for the first time. Thats a huge step and one
to which I think we will all rise.

He also shared his thoughts on the inclusion of Fulham goalie
Anthony Warner, saying: Hes a player who will
come into the team and hopefully add value to it. Its
not something that we are going to be bitter about. At the
end of the day the competition will just help to bring out
the best in the other keepers like myself, Clayton (Ince)
and Kelvin (Jack). I think he will be a decent addition
to the set up.

Aware that Beenhakker will begin working with the locally-based
players and that players who were part of the campaign will
receive their bonus payments, Hislop praised the bosses
for ensuring things went smoothly.

From
the moment Mr Warner and the other officials came up to
London to meet with us, we always knew that there would
be something good coming out of it. The players like myself,
Dwight and the others have always kept in touch and seeing
that Warner and the others saw it important to come and
meet with us meant a lot.

We
were happy that it was a speedy process which makes it a
lot more easier for us to concentrate on the football now.
As he rightly said, we are footballers and we have nothing
to do with politics, so at the same time it would be easy
on us if the government could also see it fit to work together
with us like the Federation.

We
are pretty sure they will have good intentions but we also
want to have less things taking away from our time to be
used preparing for the World Cup, Hislop said.